Information processing method and server system

Abstract

A league is formed by a given number of teams formed by a plurality of players and having an identical team level, and the teams compete for league ranking based on team points obtained in a given period. A team level of each team is changed based on the league ranking. A player plays a game using a game device to obtain the team points. When the number of teams is less than the given number when forming a league, a mirror team of the team that belongs to another league is added. The team points of the mirror team are calculated separately from the team points of the actual team to determine league ranking in the league of the mirror team. The team level of the actual team of the mirror team is changed based on the league ranking of the actual team and the league ranking of the mirror team.

1. An information processing method implemented by a server system connected to a game device via a communication channel, the game device getting a player identification information and executing a game, the information processing method comprising:
 performing a matching process that matches teams to which one or more players belong to form a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups being formed by a given number of teams; 
 receiving the player identification information and notification information based on game play from the game device; 
 performing a team competition process that allows the teams included in each of the plurality of groups to compete based on the received notification information relating to each player belonging to each of the teams; and 
 managing a team level of each of the teams while changing the team level of each of the teams based on a ranking of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups, the ranking being results of the team competition process, 
 the matching process incorporating a mirror team of an actual team that belongs to another group in a group in which the number of teams is less than the given number; 
 the team competition process calculating the ranking of each of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups while regarding the actual team and the mirror team as different teams; and 
 the managing of the team level changing the team level of the actual team based on the ranking of the teams included in each of a group to which the actual team belongs and a group to which the mirror team belongs when the mirror team has been incorporated. 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing method as defined in  claim 1 ,
 the matching process forming the plurality of groups by matching teams having a team level that satisfies a given approximation condition. 
 
     
     
       3. The information processing method as defined in  claim 1 ,
 the matching process and the team competition process being repeated at given intervals as a series of processes. 
 
     
     
       4. The information processing method as defined in  claim 3 ,
 the game device including a point calculation section that calculates determination points based on game play results by a predetermined calculation process; 
 the notification information including at least the determination points; and 
 the team competition process calculating the ranking of each of the teams in each of the plurality of groups based on a sum of the determination points included in the notification information corresponding to each of the teams. 
 
     
     
       5. The information processing method as defined in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 selecting a team command corresponding to each of the teams from a plurality of team commands for which a success/failure relative relationship has been specified; and 
 setting a calculation coefficient based on the team command selected corresponding to each of the teams and the success/failure relative relationship, the calculation coefficient being used when calculating the determination points, 
 the point calculation section of the game device calculating the determination points of each of the teams based on the calculation coefficient; 
 the calculation coefficient being set while regarding the team command for the mirror team as the same as the team command for the actual team of the mirror team; and 
 the team competition process calculating the ranking of each of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups based on the determination points of the actual team and the mirror team. 
 
     
     
       6. The information processing method as defined in  claim 3 ,
 the team competition process including calculating determination points based on the notification information by a predetermined calculation process, and calculating the ranking of each of the teams in each of the plurality of groups based on a sum of the calculated determination points corresponding to each of the teams. 
 
     
     
       7. The information processing method as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 selecting a team command corresponding to each of the teams from a plurality of team commands for which a success/failure relative relationship has been specified; and 
 setting a calculation coefficient based on the team command selected corresponding to each of the teams and the success/failure relative relationship, the calculation coefficient being used when calculating the determination points, 
 the determination points of each of the teams being calculated based on the calculation coefficient; 
 the calculation coefficient being set while regarding the team command for the mirror team as the same as the team command for the actual team of the mirror team; and 
 the team competition process calculating the ranking of each of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups based on the determination points of the actual team and the mirror team. 
 
     
     
       8. The information processing method as defined in  claim 5 ,
 the team command corresponding to each of the teams being selected by a majority decision of the players belonging to each of the teams based on vote signals transmitted from player terminals of the players belonging to each of the teams. 
 
     
     
       9. The information processing method as defined in  claim 4 ,
 the team competition process including calculating a subtotal of the determination points corresponding to each of the teams at intervals shorter than the given intervals; and 
 the method further comprising transmitting a signal to the game device, the signal displaying a sum of the determination points on the game device in a latest interval in which the subtotal section calculates the subtotal of the determination points corresponding to each team in the group to which the team of a player identified by a player identification signal received by the player identification information reception section belongs as the actual team and/or the mirror team. 
 
     
     
       10. A server system connected to a game device via a communication channel, the game device getting a identification information and executing a game, the server system comprising:
 a matching section that matches teams to which one or more players belong to form a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups being formed by a given number of teams; 
 a reception section that receives the player identification information and notification information based on game play from the game device; 
 a team competition processing section that performs a team competition process that allows the teams included in each of the plurality of groups to compete based on the notification information that has been received by the reception section and relates to each player belonging to each of the teams; and 
 a team level management section that manages a team level of each of the teams while changing the team level of each of the teams based on a ranking of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups, the ranking being results of the team competition process, 
 the matching section incorporating a mirror team of an actual team that belongs to another group in a group in which the number of teams is less than the given number; 
 the team competition processing section calculating the ranking of each of the teams included in each of the plurality of groups while regarding the actual team and the mirror team as different teams; and 
 the team level management section changing the team level of the actual team based on the ranking of the teams included in each of a group to which the actual team belongs and a group to which the mirror team belongs when the mirror team has been incorporated.